INTERCULTURAL CLOWNING IN THE UK

6 – 11 October 2026
6 day residential – taught in English and French.

A rare opportunity to work with one of the originators and teachers of our work Bertil Sylvander is a founding member and director of the Bataclown.

This course is highly recommended to people who have some experience of our work. Participants on this course say that this course is unlike any other clown course they have experienced. The workshop is set in the beautiful grounds of Emerson College, Forest Row, Sussex, UK.

It offers the opportunity for six English speaking participants (previously from Germany, UK and the US) to work with six French participants to explore and celebrate their cultural differences through clowning. The playfulness and authenticity of clowning offers a safe and fun way to meet with what is new and unfamiliar in our lives.

The course limited to 12 people.

Facilitators:

Bertil Sylvander

Il a travaillé le théâtre et l’improvisation, le masque, le mime, la commedia dell’arte, la voix, le clown, le bouffon et le fou du roi avec la Cie “Le Fil à Plomb” (Christian Cailleret), la Cie “Omnibus” (méthode Decroux), Serge Martin, Georges Bonnaud, Hervé Laudières, le Roy Hart Théâtre, etc. Il a travaillé le piano et la clarinette. Gymnastique sensorielle méthode Danis Bois depuis 2006.
Il a joué dans les spectacles du “Rateau Bavoir” (Fanfare clownesque) de 1978 à 80 et du Bataclown (depuis 1980).
Metteur en scène de spectacles de clown-théâtre : “Avec Plaisir” (Cie les Karamazones, 1988), “La Papillonne” (Cie Clown toi-même, 1990), “La débâcle” (Cie Nez au vent , 1992), “Comme un cheveu sur la soupe” (Cie les Piqués du Nez, 1993), “Le Grand Poucet” (Cie Pierre Courtiade, 2008), “Les grands mythes d’Albert” (Cie Bulldartis, 2008).
Cofondateur du Centre de Recherche sur le Clown Contemporain et membre du comité de rédaction de la revue semestrielle Culture clown (2000-2015). Cofondateur de la Fédération Optimiste du Clown d’utilité social (FOCUS-Acteurs-clowns).

Vivian Gladwell

Vivian is the founder and director of Nose to Nose and has given hundreds of workshops around the world. He lives both in the UK and France where he started clowning in 1978. He speaks French and English fluently.
Vivian began teaching in 1988 as part of the Lifeways Festival at Emerson College – UK. He trained as a facilitator with the Bataclown in 1990 and joined their team in 1991 also working as a modern day Court Jester (Clownanalyst).
He created Nose to Nose UK in 1990, Nose to Nose of North America in 2006 and Fool View, the Social Clowning group and has trained facilitators in the UK, the USA, Germany and Italy – view history.
He continues his role as ambassador for the work by researching the applications of clowning in the context of teacher training, medicine, conflict management, ecology and intercultural work in many countries (South Africa, USA, Senegal, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, Norway…)

He holds clowning as a social playground for exploring our humanity.

Course fee: £670 – Tuition only

Step 1 – Book this course

To book this course or enquire
PLEASE CLICK HERE

Step 2 – Accommodation and meals

Accommodation can be booked directly with the Peredur Centre.

info@peredurcentre.org.uk
01342 312527

There is access to a kitchen and dining area here to prepare your own meals.

Alternatively please contact us for list of local people and friends  of Nose to Nose providing B and B accommodation.

Please note that this course is self-catering. The village of Forest Row with three supermarkets, whole food shops, cafes and restaurants is just under 4 miles away. There is similar in East Grinstead which is just over a mile away in the opposite direction. There is a pub serving food that is 5 minutes from the venue and a well stocked corner shop!